The Non-Election Election
What if they called an election and nobody came? That seems to be the story this November. Turnout for the June primary, just 25 percent of registered voters, was the lowest in history. The November turnout will probably not surpass 45 percent, also an historic low. Many analysts assume that this lower turnout bodes well […]
Majorities Favor State Government Downsizing
The recent PPIC Statewide Survey offers an early snapshot of voters’ choices as we enter the November election cycle. The majority support for Governor Jerry Brown’s reelection and the Proposition 1 state water bond was widely cited in the media last week. But the poll also reveals surprising news about the voters’ overall mood this […]
The Plastic Bag Referendum and the Connection to the Sec. of State Race
If the referendum filed to overturn SB 270, the plastic bag ban law signed by Governor Brown yesterday, makes the ballot arguments against the ban will deal with lost manufacturing jobs and charging consumers 10-cents for paper bags that grocers’ pocket. Those arguments should be highlighted during the signature drive and later in the campaign […]
Gov. Brown Rebuilds Redevelopment
Reversing his 2011 abolition of redevelopment, on Monday Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law two bills that will revive it, Senate Bill 628 and Assembly Bill 229. He also vetoed a third redevelopment measure, AB2280, he believed went too far by codifying an anti-poverty program into redevelopment law. Property rights advocates opposed the trio of bills as bringing back eminent […]
The Days of Awe
We are currently in the Days of Awe, the 10 day period between Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It is a time of repentance, prayer, and charity. It directs us to a form of charity or good deeds relevant to our employment world today. In repentance, prayer […]